Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Hanna Schygulla
Life is a journey. The less baggage you have, the more impressions you can take with you.
Professor Dr. Lothar Seiwert is Europes leading and best-known expert on todays new approach to time and life management. He has arguably received more distinctions than any other nonfiction writer and business speaker: Professor Seiwert has been granted more than ten awards in the last few years, including the Benjamin Franklin Prize (Best Business Book of the Year), the Internationaler Deutscher Trainingspreis, the Lifetime Achievement Award for his body of work, and the Conga Award for Best Business Speaker in the German event industry. The German Speakers Association also inducted him into their Speakers Hall of Fame. His presentations in both German and English have been heard by more than 400,000 rapt listeners in Europe, Asia and the United States. The prominent keynote speakers books consistently top bestseller lists, with more than four million copies sold throughout the world. His worldwide mega-seller simplify your life (with Werner Tiki Kstenmacher) stayed on the Spiegel bestseller list for almost 300 weeks without interruption. Today, he is a successful businessman who runs Seiwert Keynote-Speaker GmbH in Heidelberg, Germany, a company specializing in Time Management, Life Leadership and Work-Life Balance. In fall of 2009, Professor Seiwert was elected President of the German Speakers Association e.V. In summer of 2010, he earned the CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation, the highest-caliber credential for public speakers in the United States.
Contents
Foreword by Werner Tiki Kstenmacher Get rid of your time baggage!
1. Debunking common misconceptions about time: The simplify approach provides clarity
So you think faster is better? People with a full calendar are important? Multitasking is the best way to be productive? Wrong, wrong and wrong! Stop letting yourself be put under pressure by misconceptions about time. The simplify approach is your path to a relaxed relationship with time.
Time misconception number 1: No time?! Time misconception number 2: Faster is better Time misconception number 3: Doing a lot makes you successful Time misconception number 4: The Internet, etc. saves you time Time misconception number 5: Multitasking takes less time overall Time misconception number 6: Breaks are unnecessary Time misconception number 7: Dawdling is just for lazy people
A matter of type: the simplify TIME test A quick study: the Turbo Type Pure creativity: the Idea Type The full overview: the Manager Type Always precise: the Exact Type Combining strengths: working better as a team
Tool 1: Determine priorities Tool 2: Plan carefully Tool 3: Delegate tasks Tool 4: Prevent information overload Tool 5: Create order
Simply balanced: How the wheels of my life are turning Simply visionary: My lifes dream Simply goal-oriented: Wishes come true Simply good: Less is more!
Dear readers,
I have been an enthusiastic reader of self-help books for about 50 years, and I started writing some of my own more than 20 years ago. Its time for me to reveal the darkest secret of this literary genre to you: reading how-to books has no effect whatsoever.
The books only work if you actually do what they say. Its like the old joke about chemical substances in sports: Doping soccer games is no good at all. The stuff has to get into the players first!
So the question here is, how does the information you read get from your brain to your muscles? How can all of the valuable knowledge you gain by reading Professor Seiwerts latest time book be applied to your everyday life?
The process is called implementation, and it implies a transformation, a shift. A simple change of scenery, for example, can work wonders. It helps you solve human problems, and its especially useful for problems around the issue of time.
There are plenty of ways to create a change of scenery: go into a different room when your work is overwhelming. If someone is grating on your nerves, walk away. Go for a quick walk when your thought process gets bogged down. At the meeting, sit in a different seat than you usually do. Wear your watch on your other wrist to see time from a different perspective. In short, move the molecules in your surroundings so that your interior world can experience a shift too. This can help dissolve mental blocks and defuse stressful situations. But what about all those tiny grains of sand in the gears of your daily life? By that I mean all of the habits and behavioral patterns that are firmly entrenched in the foundation of your daily routine. Theyre hard to see because you are so used to them, but this book will finally help you track them down. Lothar Seiwert knows them all he has advised thousands of people who were disappointed or frustrated by their chronic lack of time, their stress symptoms and the related run of failures, bad luck and breakdowns.
So the task before you is big and complicated? No! Please never see your life that way again. Instead, look at it as a great, invaluable present. Be happy about everything you
have, even the hard days and the burdens you drag around with you. Make things simpler for yourself. Which brings us to the wonderful title of this book:
simplify has become a standing concept since 2001, when Lothar Seiwert and I published the work that was to become the decades most successful advice book.
People all over the world wish that their surroundings could become simpler. However, this just wont happen: human relationships are and will remain complicated. Societies are becoming more complex, and our value system is growing more and more sensitive. We would love to change the circumstances, the people around us and the laws that govern business and society. But the only thing we can really change is ourselves. Thats why the most important word in this books title is neither simplify nor the archaic word time, but the inconspicuous word connecting the two: your. You cant simplify life itself, but you can simplify your life. You cant simplify the concept of time, but you can work on the part that belongs to you: your time.
This piece of time, your time, is the most valuable thing you possess. It has been given to you not for you to get upset about, to waste or squeeze out like a citrus fruit, but to enjoy, make the best of and share with others! Start the process now: by reading, and then by doing.
2. Simply personal:
The simplify TIME types
Simply personal
Some people want to organize every last detail perfectly, while others love to be spontaneous. Were all different even when it comes to time management.
Did you know that travel reveals a great deal about what TIME type you are? Whether its in real life or just on our simplify your time trip, every TIME type has his or her own preferences. The Turbo Type loves action whether its a speed boat or a cross-biking excursion, it just needs to be fast and challenging. The Idea Type, on the other hand, loves spontaneous trips into the unknown and enjoys whatever may come. From a golfing trip to Miami to the opera in Verona, the Manager Type prefers the feeling of a luxury weekend. And the Exact Type leaves nothing to chance on a vacation, except maybe the weather.
Use this chapter as your personal simplify your time travel guide. Discover where your strengths lie in dealing with time. But explore the strengths of the other TIME types, too. Ultimately, you all share a great common goal: simplifying your time!
Theres a kind of common thread that runs through our actions: the way we arrange our job, how we respond to everyday situations, what makes us happy and whats important to us all of that is largely a matter of type. Naturally, this common thread also runs through our approach to time.
Does your boss expect you to throw together a presentation at short notice? Does your girlfriend expect you to come up with the best ideas for her birthday party, as usual? Do your colleagues assume you will single-mindedly tackle the problems in the new project? In the association where you act as treasurer, are your buddies happy because they already know youll turn in a correct and perfectly balanced ledger? And do you want to know why? Its simple they all recognized your particular strengths a long time ago. Maybe you should look into it a little further and find out what TIME type you are. Learning more about your type will help you get to know your strengths and deal better with your small weaknesses in the area of time management.
Teamwork
I love developing ideas as a group the more the merrier. B Teamwork is fine if it helps the project move forward faster. A When the team is being indecisive, I like to take on a leadership role. C For complicated projects, Id much rather work on my own, without the hustle and bustle of teamwork. D
Punctuality
I would like to be punctual, but things often come up at the last minute. A Better safe than sorry! I always like to arrive a little early. D I have my deadlines under control. I am always on time. C I often show up to appointments at the last minute but Im punctual. B
Priorities
I dont like to commit many different tasks are equally important to me. B I like to work on several important projects at once, so priorities are a little tricky. C I dont spend a lot of time setting priorities I just like to hit the ground running. A Priorities are important to me. They are the best way for me to plan my time. D
Delegating
Handing over tasks not a problem for me. Then I can focus on whats important. C I love action, and I like to work fast. I dont need any help. A Delegating doesnt work my best ideas come when Im working on several projects at once. B Handing over tasks? Im not convinced they would be done well. D
Planning
I find schedules restrictive. I need freedom to exercise my creativity. B I plan my day very carefully, and I dont like it when something makes a mess of my plans. D Of course I plan my day. But sometimes I take on a little too much. C I prefer to make a rough schedule so I can respond quickly to new challenges. A
Saying no
I dont want to upset anyone, so Id rather say yes than no. D I like helping others, so I often have trouble turning down requests. B Im always interested in new projects, so I say yes without thinking too hard about it. A If somethings not important to me, I say no very clearly. I dont have a problem with that. C
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Organization
Creative chaos inspires me being fastidiously organized is too boring. B Being organized is important to me. I cant work well when Im drowning in chaos. D I dont think too hard about organization. If necessary, I clean things up quickly. A When things are stressful, my desk sometimes gets messy. Otherwise Im fairly
organized. C
A, B, C or D?
Now count up how many times you answered A, B, C or D. The category with the most responses is your personal TIME type:
A = All of your plans have to move quickly: thats the sign of a speedy Turbo Type.
B = Brainstorming rather than planning. As a creative Idea Type, you prefer to make spontaneous decisions.
C = Choosing every opportunity to move things forward: the Manager Type is a real doer.
D = Details are important, as the Exact Type very well knows. After all, a small thing can often make a big difference.
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Fast thinker Hits the ground running Dedicated and multitalented Flexible time-juggler Valuable helper Informed laptop-using nomad Active team player
Dedicated idea developer Empathetic conversation partner Creative optimist when it comes to timing Brilliant brainstormer Unconventional trouble-shooter Confident networker Powerful last-minute wild card
Energetic doer Optimizes efficiency Sets ambitious goals A real bundle of energy Dauntless problem-solver Skilled delegator Consistently says no
Enthusiastic improver Clever specialist Forward-thinking organizer Cautious risk manager Clear analyst Conscientious time planner Quality-conscious detail person
()
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4. Less is more:
The simplify principle
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Simplify: overview
The energetic doer Focusing on the strengths How Manager Types work A strong combination: better together
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work even more efficiently. The calendar and designer clock clearly set the tone. Everything is functional, high-quality and neat. The only time this tidy workspace might be disorganized is when things are especially turbulent and the Manager Type once again finds himself working on countless projects at the same time.
Dante Alighieri: One person waits for times to change, another seizes the moment and acts.
Even in his private life, the Manager Type loves the exceptional: his home is representative of this, pared down precisely to suit his personal needs. Here you will find the perfect combination of minimalism, style and high-tech objects. The Manager Type enjoys working hard, so his free time is very limited. Still, he knows how to make the best use of it. Whether its during a theater intermission or on the golf course, the Manager Type is always on the lookout for good contacts to advance his career. He shows a great deal of ambition in his athletic activities. Hes simply a competitive type, one who seeks out comparisons with others and under no circumstances wants to leave the arena as a loser. New and unfamiliar things draw his attention. Since he is very curious, he also likes to try unusual and even dangerous hobbies boredom and routine are not his thing at all.
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if he thinks that his employees or colleagues are endangering the success of a project, he can be mercilessly critical. In such cases he is not at all concerned about offending the other person. Summary: Complaining doesnt help! Problems are there to be solved.
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If each person does what he or she is best at, everyone benefits. Successfully implementing plans, quickly solving problems, overcoming
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obstacles, achieving results in record time thats what characterizes a Manager Type. Hes not deterred by risks, and he often ignores warnings. But rushed decisions about important projects can lead to bitter disappointments. To prevent this from happening, he should make sure to work with the Exact Type on important projects.
The Exact Type loves checking facts, paying attention to details and thinking through everything carefully. The Manager Types desire for action and the Exact Types meticulous approach are the perfect combination for implementing ideas quickly but deliberately.
The Manager Type has ambitious goals that he wants to realize as quickly as possible. But is the shortest path always the best? In order to determine this, he should plan regular discussions with the Idea Type. The Managers determined approach and the Idea Types creativity make them an unbeatable team when it comes to discovering new perspectives and developing and implementing truly ingenious plans.
How can giant piles of work be taken care of in a short amount of time? What can be done to carry out tasks without long delays? For some tasks and projects, the most important thing is speed. If the Manager Type can also get the Turbo Type to help him with these tasks, then together they are guaranteed to beat out the competition when it comes to speed.
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discovered interesting possibilities for making your life simpler, but also more enjoyable. Now let yourself be amazed by how effective these tips and techniques can be. You will gain something valuable the freedom to simply do what you feel like doing! To make it even easier to maintain your own personal time style, I will finish by sharing a special simplify tip for each TIME type. After all, simplify your time is not just a passing fad its a wonderful attitude to have toward life. I am always excited when I see how simple it can be to stop wasting your time with the morning traffic jam, annoying emails or endless meetings. And an even better benefit is having time for the people and things that are important to you.
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As a Manager Type, you probably want to start using all of the tips from simplify your time at once. That would let you quickly carve out big chunks of time for new projects. But why? Wouldnt it be much nicer to use your brand-new free time for dawdling and dreaming?
You dont always need to be running everyone is allowed to stop and rest sometimes. Reaching goals is not the only important thing its also important to enjoy the journey to the goal.
You can start working right now to balance your work performance with your quality of life. Leave work earlier today and go do something youve been wanting to do for a long time!
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Contact Franziska Hildebrandt Campus Verlag GmbH Foreign Rights Kurfrstenstr. 49 60486 Frankfurt Tel: +49-69-976516-15 Fax: +49-69-976516-79 Email: hildebrandt@campus.de Gun Hellmich Campus Verlag GmbH Foreign Rights Kurfrstenstr. 49 60486 Frankfurt Tel: +49-69-976516-813 Fax: +49-69-976516-79 Email: hellmich@campus.de
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